Reporter Kim Horton was invited to observe a mosque during evening prayer during Ramadan.

"Learning about Ramadan as a non-Muslim was quite an experience.

The faith is very involved and the culture and experience opened my eyes to what happens during the 29 days before Muslims have a day of festivities celebrating Eid ul Fitr.

It was a real honour to be invited to the Masjid U Umar mosque on Falkner Street in Gloucester. It is not really heard of for a non-Muslim to be able to enter the mosque before a Call to Prayer.

The five prayers as a group are called Salah and the set times refers to times when Muslims perform prayers.

There is a set process that all Muslim men must adhere to before they start to recite the prayers. Wudhoo is performed. This is where a thorough cleansing takes place in a room near the prayer hall.

Barton and Tredworth Councillor (L) Said Hansdot is a devoted Muslim.

He said: “With Wudhoo we come in before each prayer to wash our feet, and our hands and face. This is called or ablution.

“This symbolises washing away the sins and the washing of the feet is required before you enter the room to pray.”

Said explained the ‘Five pillars of Islam’.

He said: “Firstly Shahada, as a Muslim you take an oath as a Muslim to stay true to Allah. Then there is Salat where Muslims pray every day. If you are unable to come to Mosque then you pray where you are having washed before you pray.

“Then there is Zakāt where Muslims give a percentage of money to charity. This year we have been collecting for the refugees in Syria as well however it is expected that if you have savings then you give 2.5 per cent to those less fortunate.

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"Then we have Ramadan, during this month we fast. It is to bring a nearness to God, and it is obligatory and children from about 12 start fasting. We fast from dawn to dusk. It is not difficult for us as it is something that I have always done including women.

“Then we have Hajj where every Muslim in his lifetime is expected to make his pilgrimage to Mecca at some point.”

During my experience women were not permitted to enter the mosque at the evening prayer. However on arrival I was asked to take off my shoes and pop them on the shelf. Then I was shown around where the ablution takes place.

There were several seat and taps parallel to the seats so the men can wash their feet before they enter the prayer room.

The room where ablution takes place

Then I was talked through the board that shows the times that prayers would be taking place.

The prayers are called Fajar, Zohar, Asar, Maghrib and Isha and Jumu’ah is the Muslim Friday prayer.

On the Friday the fast was broken at 9.35pm before the evening prayer commenced five minutes later.

I was invited to sit with the men in a room upstairs to break the fast. There was a humble feast waiting for them consisted of dates, rice, chickpeas and curried potato fritters and onion bhajis. I was poured a cup of orange juice and there was water available.

Then the time came where the men we able to breaks their 18 hour fast. As much as I felt reserved to begin with and overwhelmed that I had been invited to the break the fast with them, I was being encouraged to eat and Said was putting food onto my plate.

I was incredibly humbled by seeing how hungry these men were and how dedicated they are to their faith. They were obviously hungry and enjoying their tasty yet simple food in a very short space of time before they went downstairs recite the evening prayer.

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Said said: “You pray every day, five times a day no matter where you are. The times change according to where the sun is, that is why we have the time on the board to let us know when to pray.

“We pray to our creator our sustainer.”

The group of six men that I had been eating with met with the other Muslim men from the nearby community in the hall where they all met to pray.

The hall is carpet in rich red with a pattern on it so to pray the outlined pattern on the rug that points towards Mecca.

Initially there were around 50 men in the room by the time we got there.

Said said: “Many of the Muslim men break the fast with their families they then rushed to make the prayer if not a little delayed.

“I think that there were around 300 men there in the end it was quite full in there.”

I was staggered at how many men arrived. As much as I knew that I was there as a guest when women were not permitted, and not allowed in the hall understandably, I was able to observe the prayer.

There is a ritual where on arrival the prayer called Takbir where the men enter a state of prayer. The men would raise their hands either side of their head by their ears and say they say 'Allahu Akbar' which means God is great while facing the direction of Mecca.

The prayer then is then said in the Gloucester mosque over a loud speaker and then the Muslim community then prayed and kneeled with their face to the floor and then stood and kneeled several time thereafter until the prayer was finished.

Said said: “The face to the floor and kneeling to God is symbolic of no matter who you are and how proud or rich you are then we are all the same kneeling before the creator.”

The whole experience was something that gave me a real insight to the dedication to the faith. I cannot claim to have understood everything that I was shown as children go to the mosque every day for about two hours to learn about their faith.

They are taught age appropriately as they would be in school and have work books to learn Arabic and learn about how to be tolerant and understanding of the world around them.

The individuals that I met live their lives as true devoted Muslims and I admire the discipline and dedication to their community and beliefs."